News Release Number: STScI-1992-17

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Resolves a Dark "x" Across the Nucleus of M51

June 8, 1992: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has provided astronomers with what may be their first direct
view of an immense ring of dust which fuels a massive black hole at the heart of the spiral
galaxy M51, located 20 million light-years away. Surprisingly, they found that the ring is
standing almost perpendicularly to the relatively flat spiral galaxy, like a top spinning on its side
with respect to the floor. Even more surprising is the discovery of a secondary ring or dust lane
which is contrary to all expectations.